Restoration work on Red Fort
stoppedNew Delhi, November
29
With the mystery of the missing finials from the gate of the Historic Red Fort having deepened, the ongoing restoration work has come to a standstill.

Chandigarh Admn’s plea on reservations dismissedNew Delhi, November 29
The Supreme Court has held that a state or Union Territory cannot deny the reservation benefits to migrated SC, ST and OBC candidates, and dismissed an appeal by the Chandigarh Administration against certain persons of these categories from neighbouring areas who were awarded the benefit in the recruitment of Assistant Sub-Inspectors of police in
1996.

Capt's removal: Sonia unlikely to act in
hasteNew Delhi, November 29
Despite the growing rebellion against the Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Amarinder Singh, the Congress leadership is unlikely to take any hasty decision on the demand for his removal.
A large section of the Chief Minister's detractors have been lobbying
hard with the Congress President, Ms Sonia Gandhi, for his removal.

Actor Tom Alter (R) gestures as he plays the role of
the coach of the Indian cricket team at the muhurat of the film
Silence Please...The Dressing Room at the Brabourne stadium in
Mumbai on Friday. The film is an adaptation of the well-known English play,
The Dressing Room, featuring a goodwill match between arch rivals India and Pakistan being played in Srinagar, with threats of terrorist attacks and fear sneaking into the stadium.
— AFP

BSF to continue operations
against militantsNew Delhi, November 29
The Border Security Force has said its operations against militants in Jammu and Kashmir would continue even though the border has been peaceful since the ceasefire came into effect from midnight of November
26.

Bollywood actress
Shabana Azmi releases the book, Dilli Kiski Hai, written by various writers of
Khatra Kendra, in
New Delhi on Saturday. — PTI

Italian PM to visit India soonNew Delhi, November
29Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee today said Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who could not attend the fourth India-EU Summit because of a stomach ailment, would come to India as soon as
possible.

Govt not to stop farm subsidies, says
JaswantNew Delhi, November 29Finance Minister Jaswant Singh has said that the NDA government would not do away with farm subsidies as the government was not in the favour of “industrial agriculture” and risking the food security of over 100 crore people of the
country.

Former ISRO Chairman is
RS member
New Delhi, November 29
A noted scientist and former Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation, Dr K. Kasturirangan, has taken oath as the nominated member of the Rajya
Sabha.

New Delhi, November
29
With the mystery of the missing finials from the gate of the Historic Red Fort having deepened, the ongoing restoration work has come to a standstill.

Following the disclosure of the “disappearance” of the finials, reported to be valued at $42,000 apiece, the Central Government yesterday informed the Supreme Court that renovation and restoration of the Red Fort had been suspended and objections raised about the standard of the work referred to an expert committee.

Solicitor-General Kirit N. Raval told a Bench comprising Chief Justice V.N. Khare and Mr Justice S.B. Sinha that the expert committee comprising eminent conservationists would look into the objections raised through a petition before the court.

Sources said the committee was expected to suggest “a holistic plan” for the maintenance of the 17th century fort. Meanwhile, the amicus curiae appointed by the court, senior counsel Harish Salve, who has inspected the renovation work, said he would file an application seeking the court’s direction by December 8.

Appearing for petitioners Rajeev Sethi and others, who alleged that the restoration work had damaged the structure, senior advocate Kapil Sibal said the work being done by the ASI was not in conformity with international standards of renovation and sought that the work be stopped.

The missing finials have raised questions about the security of the fort and the artefacts therein. While the ASI initially denied that the finials of the Delhi Gate side of the Red Fort were missing, it has now acknowledged that the metal finials have been missing since 2000.

New Delhi, November 29
The Supreme Court has held that a state or Union Territory cannot deny the reservation benefits to migrated SC, ST and OBC candidates, and dismissed an appeal by the Chandigarh Administration against certain persons of these categories from neighbouring areas who were awarded the benefit in the recruitment of Assistant Sub-Inspectors (ASI) of police in
1996.

Neither could the migrating states deny issuing of the SC, ST and OBC certificate to a candidate belonging to these categories on production of the “genuine” proof, a Bench comprising Mr Justice Brijesh Kumar and Mr Justice Arun Kumar
said.

The court said the Union Government in its February 22, 1985 circular had made it clear that a ST and SC candidate of any other state or Union Territory was entitled to the benefit of reservation in jobs in the same manner as was available to them in the state of origin before migrating to the state in question.

The Chandigarh Administration had denied the reservation benefits to five SC, ST and OBC candidates, migrated to the Union Territory from Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh in the recruitment of 14 ASIs in 1996, when two posts were reserved for SC/ST and four for the OBC candidates.

The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) had allowed a petition by the affected migrated candidates and directed the Chandigarh Administration to give them appointment, if they were otherwise found eligible and the same was upheld by the Punjab and Haryana High Court. Aggrieved by the High Court’s order, the Chandigarh Administration, had filed an appeal in the apex
court.

“The certificates are to be issued irrespective of whether caste/tribe in question is Scheduled or not in relation to the state/Union territory to which the person has migrated,” the court ruled.

The court also rejected the Chandigarh Administration’s argument that the Centre in September 1999, had said the reservation benefits were only to be allowed to those who were bonafide residents of the Union Territory and in whose favour valid certificates have been issued by it.

It said after September 1999 no appointment against the reserved posts had been made to the candidates who were not residents of Chandigarh and were not having the valid certificates of castes, issued by District Magistrates and Sub-Division Magistrates in the Union Territory.

New Delhi, November 29
Despite the growing rebellion against the Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Amarinder Singh, the Congress leadership is unlikely to take any hasty decision on the demand for his removal.

A large section of the Chief Minister's detractors have been lobbying hard with the Congress President, Ms Sonia Gandhi, for his removal. Sources maintained that with the Lok Sabha elections less than a year away, Ms Gandhi would have to decide if a new leader would be a better choice and also should possess the ability to deliver in the
elections.

Political observers maintained that the outcome of the four Assembly polls could play a vital role in deciding Mr Amarinder Singh's fate along with inputs from the Punjab MPs.

In case, the Congress fares poorly (loosing two of the four states), the leadership might be compelled to go in for a total revamp, both in the Congress organisation and in the states.

Alternatively, if the party fares well, the leadership may not feel the need to affect any changes. "In any case, the Congress President will take a long, hard look at the situation before taking a final view in this matter. It is not her style to rock the boat," said a senior Congress leader from Punjab. At the same time, he said, Ms Sonia Gandhi would not hesitate to go ahead with the change if it becomes imperative. Finally, what would count is the incumbent's ability to deliver in the Lok Sabha elections.

However, this has not deterred Mr Amarinder Singh's detractors, led by Ms Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, to demand the Chief Minister's removal. A large contingent of Punjab legislators and party functionaries, who have been deployed in the capital for election duty, have instead used this opportunity to renew their campaign against Mr Amarinder Singh.

Their major grouse is the Chief Minister's inaccessibility and style of functioning.

Congress sources said these complaints could well be valid but, in the final analysis, the Congress President has to be sure that a change would not harm the party. If it is felt the situation can be salvaged by asking Mr Amarinder Singh to take corrective measures, he would be retained as the Chief Minister.

New Delhi, November 29
The Border Security Force (BSF) has said its operations against militants in Jammu and Kashmir would continue even though the border has been peaceful since the ceasefire came into effect from midnight of November
26.

The Director-General of the BSF, Mr Ajai Raj Sharma, told mediapersons the ceasefire had come as a blessing as the BSF would be able to expedite the fencing on the Line of Control (LoC) in the state. Mr Sharma’s is the first comment by an official on infiltration since the truce came into force.

He said the infiltration of terrorists from Pakistan into Jammu and Kashmir would not stop completely but, at best, reduce by 50 per cent. “Pakistan is the root cause of the problem. If the political leadership can tackle this issue, infiltration will dry up,” he said at a news conference ahead of the 38th foundation day of the BSF
tomorrow.

Irrespective of the ceasefire, he said, about 3,000 terrorists were still active in Jammu and Kashmir and terrorism-related incidents were still taking place. “If the BSF receives any information about the presence of terrorists in any area, we will act,” Mr Sharma
asserted.

The BSF Director-General also expected suicide attacks by terrorists to increase. The BSF had accordingly altered the training programme for its personnel to meet this challenge more effectively. He said the situation would be monitored for the next three
weeks.

The jobs of fencing and flood-lighting on the international border in the Jammu sector, which had been entrusted to the BSF after the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) had expressed its inability, would be completed by the year-end. Out of the sanctioned 180km of border fence and 196km of border flood-lighting, about half of the task had already been
completed.

Similarly, 1,135 km of the border fencing out of the sanctioned 3,287 km had been completed in the eastern sector.

New Delhi, November
29
Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee today said Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who could not attend the fourth India-EU Summit because of a stomach ailment, would come to India as soon as
possible.

Mr Vajpayee made this comment in response to a specific question, asked at the conclusion of the two-day India-EU Summit.

Italian Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Margherita Boniver represented the Italian Prime Minister at the summit. She said at the press conference that she had telephoned Mr Berlusconi in Rome just before the start of the summit and had been authorised to say that the Prime Minister wanted to “apologise personally” to Mr Vajpayee for not being able to attend the summit.

Meanwhile, India and the EU signed two agreements, one on trade and investment development programme and another on customs cooperation accord.

New Delhi, November 29
Finance Minister Jaswant Singh has said that the NDA government would not do away with farm subsidies as the government was not in the favour of “industrial agriculture” and risking the food security of over 100 crore people of the
country.

Speaking at a book release function last evening, Mr Singh said he had argued against the removal of agriculture subsidies during his meeting with European Commissioner for External Relations Chris
Patten.

“I told him that I cannot recommend that India ever give up supporting subsidies related to the agriculture sector. Nobody on Earth can”, he
said.

He said in India, agriculture was more than an economic activity and more attention should be given to wasteland development and better irrigation in the country.

New Delhi, November 29
A noted scientist and former Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Dr K. Kasturirangan, has taken oath as the nominated member of the Rajya
Sabha.

He took the oath yesterday, a press note from the Rajya Sabha Secretariat said. He served as Chairman of the Space Commission and Secretary, Department of Space, from April 1994 to August 2003. —
PTI

BRIEFLY

SIX KARBIS KILLED IN
FRESH VIOLENCE
DIPHU: After a brief lull, ethnic violence erupted again in Assam on Saturday with six Karbis killed in firing and arson by Kuki militants in Karbi Anglong district, while sheds at a weekly market in Tinsukia district were set ablaze by unidentified persons. At Karbi Anglong, the Kuki Revolutionary Army (KNA) militants, swooped down on two interior Karbi-inhabitated villages, Rongkimi and Jelangso, at 4.30 am and opened fire from sophisticated weapons and set ablaze 185 huts, the police said. Six, including a woman and three-year-old girl, died in the firing and the arson, they said. —
PTI

CALL-GIRL RACKET BUSTED, 19 HELD
KANPUR: The Special Operation Group (SOG) sleuths have busted an inter-state call-girl racket and arrested at least 19 people including 11 girls from Barra and Fazalganj areas here on Friday evening. Police Superintendent (Rural) Ratan Kumar Srivastava said on Saturday the prostitution ring was being run by a women duo, Madhu Agarwal and Usha Trivedi, owing allegience to two different political parties. Their clients included important political figures, senior government officials, hoteliers, doctors, transporters and corporators. —UNI

‘KILLER FISH’ TO TACKLE MALARIA
RAMESWARAM: The state government has released ''killer fish'' in fresh water areas to eliminate mosquitoes and prevent malaria in this district. Talking to reporters here, Health Officer (Malaria) Kannan said fish-like cuppies and composia were being put in the wells to prevent the breeding of mosquitoes. Fish had already been put in 800 wells to control the mosquito menace. —
UNI

POLICE TO PROBE ELIZABETH CASE
IMPHAL: The Manipur Cabinet has decided not to hand over the murder case of eight-year-old Lungnila Elizabeth, daughter of State Administration Department minister, to the CBI, resolving to give more time to the state police to investigate the case. The Cabinet meeting was held on Friday which was presided by Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh, observed that the CBI would not be able to work independently on the case without the help of the state police.
—UNI

NINE NSCN (K) CADRES DEFECT
KOHIMA: The NSCN (Khaplang) received another blow when nine of its cadres from Mokokchung district, joined its rival group the NSCN (Isacc Muivah) in two batches recently. With this defection, the number of cadres from the NSCN (K)'s Ao region who defected to the NSCN (IM) this month has now reached to 30.The cadres also brought sophisticated arms and ammunition. —UNI